


Nama-stay Away From Me

by TheCopyMistress



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Banter, Biting, F/M, Groping, Kakashi’s ass in yoga pants, Kickboxing instructor!Sakura, LITERALLY, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sloppy Makeouts, Steamy Situations, Yoga teacher!Kakashi, in supply closets, shameless flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2019-11-18 02:39:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18111560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCopyMistress/pseuds/TheCopyMistress
Summary: When Sakura’s impeccable schedule keeps getting thrown by her gym’s ever tardy yoga teacher, she decides to give him a piece of her mind. Things do not go as she predicted. Modern AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A brain child of the Kakashi Discord that I’ve been working on for who knows how long.... Unbeta’d, so all mistakes are mine.

“Hey, why aren’t you guys inside yet?” Sakura’s advanced kickboxing class was set to start in five minutes. Usually they would already be in there warming up.

One of the taller guys pointed behind him with a thumb. “The last class is still in there.”

“What?” Sakura peeked into the large window of the studio. Sure enough, there was rows of mats laid out, a tall, broad-shouldered, silver-haired man walking around adjusting the forms of his students. 90% of which happened to be women.

Confused, Sakura checked the bulletin where the itinerary was posted. Shikamaru always made sure to give her this specific time slot to fit in with her busy schedule, and it hasn’t changed in the past year she had begun teaching her classes. Sparring with her advanced students was one of her favorite parts of the week, and there was no way some bendy noodle man with great pecs ( _Wait, what? Focus, Sakura!_ ) was going to mess with that.

Feeling particularly petty, she dug her notebook from her purse and scribbled a note onto it before tacking it onto the corkboard.

 **Hey guys!** ****  
**Can we** **please** **stick to our own time slots?** ****  
**It’s not really fair when someone goes overtime.** **  
** **Please & thank you! <3**

“Oh yeah, way to get ‘em, Sakura.” A brown-haired man flashed his canines in a wide grin as he read the slip over her shoulder. “Don’t hold back, right? Hit ‘em where it hurts.”

“Shut up, Kiba. They’re clearing out. Go warm up before I make you lift weights.”

“So mean…” He groused. Nonetheless, they all filed into the room, pulling bags and mats out from the closet that Shikamaru had designated for their equipment. Sakura waited by the door as people shuffled in and out, Kakashi following his last student out. He glanced at the bulletin, then hunched over to read the note closely before looking curiously at Sakura.

“This you?” He asked, pointing with a slim finger.

Sakura nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah, that was me. I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a tight schedule and I don’t want my students cheated out of class time.”

The man smiled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck and hiking his gym bag higher on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I understand, I feel the same way about my students. I got here a little late—this little old lady needed help with her groceries—and I wasn’t aware that there was anyone after me.”

The ice in Sakura’s stare melted a little. She sighed. “It’s alright,” she conceded. “Just try to be more aware of the time, please.” She moved to walk into the room, already pulling tape from her bag.

“I’m Kakashi, by the way. Hatake Kakashi.”

“Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you.” There. That was the end of that.

* * *

 

It was not the end of that.

Leaning against the doorway of the sweltering studio, Sakura glared at the tall man folded in half at the front of the class. As he rolled slowly up, he exhaled dramatically, palms pressed together in front of his chest. His eyes were closed, loose grey strands sticking to his forehead. And he just _stood there_ for what seemed like an eternity, just _breathing_. Who needs that long to breathe?!

“And that concludes our session for this week. Thank you everyone for taking this journey with me. It can be so easy to get lost on the path of life. Namaste.” His voice was deep and soothing, though Sakura felt anything but peaceful as she attempt to drill lasers through the man’s forehead with her eyes. When he finally looked at her, he winked and bent to gather his things. She pushed through the throng of young women exiting and stomped over to him.

“That’s the third time this cycle, Kakashi. You’re impeding on my class time and my students are complaining that they aren’t getting their money’s worth.” Behind her, the advanced kickboxing class was hustling to set up punching bags and taping their hands, eager to get on with their workout despite the oppressive temperature of the room.

“Oh, Sakura, hello. It’s good to see you.” Kakashi shouldered his bag and tugged at the sports cap of his water bottle. He downed half of it, not breaking eye contact with the petite woman in front of him.

“Bull. You’re never happy to see me because I always yell at you.” She stared resolutely back at him, refusing to give in to the urge to stare at the way his Adam’s apple bobbed as he drank.

“Hmm, now that might be your interpretation of things, but I would have to disagree. Maybe I like your yelling.”

Sakura snorted. “And I like the way you like to use my class time to entertain your drove of fan girls. You know they only take your class to ogle you. Do it outside.”

“Oh? You think I’m worth ogling?”

“No! That’s not what I—Get out, Hatake, please!”

“You know,” he started, licking the stray drops from the corner of his mouth. “You seem a little tense. You should take my class, it’d be a good opportunity to work out those knots.” He set a hand on Sakura’s shoulder and gave her a smile that was just asking to be punched. She opted for an accusing finger in his face instead.

“I’ll tie you into a knot, Hatake. Back off.” Sakura gritted through her teeth. “And don’t go over time next week!”

The man held his hands up in surrender. “Yes, ma’am. Understood.” He ambled towards the door, shooting her one more wink before slipping away. Sakura flipped a bird after him, accidentally catching her incoming assistant instead. She smiled sheepishly at Tenten, who merely shot her a weird look before tossing her bag down beside Sakura’s and throwing an arm behind her head to stretch her triceps.

“Hello to you too.” She teased.

“Sorry. You know that wasn’t directed towards you.” Sakura lowered herself to the ground, extending one leg and reaching towards her foot. “That damn yoga teacher is messing with my schedule again. God, I hate him.”

“That’s a strong word. Besides he was only five minutes over today. It’s an improvement?” Tenten pulled the tape out of her bag and began wrapping her knuckles.

Sakura rolled her eyes. “It’s disrespectful! If this happens again, I’m telling the landlord. We all rent this space, and I’m getting cheated.”

“Sakura, you’ve said that every time he goes over since he took the slot before us. Admit it. Hatake is _fine_ , and you don’t wanna tattle.” Tenten punched her lightly on the arm, earning her a scowl from the pink-haired girl.

“The only _fine_ thing here is the needle I’m gonna use to poke his stupid eyes out.”

“Hey, that’s not nice! I was actually thinking about taking his classes for a session. I heard the girls outside talking about how great of a teacher he is.”

“Ugh, I bet that old perv just uses yoga as an excuse for his perviness.”

“Real eloquent, Sakura.” Tenten mused. “Let’s face it. He’s hot and if he asked you to bend over, you wouldn’t think twice.” She punctuated that last statement with a wink.

“Will everyone please stop winking at me?!” Having had enough of Tenten’s insight for one day, she turned her attention to the rest of the class. “Hey! Come on, we’re already late! Drills first, let’s go!”

Everyone hurried to their usual places, the loud chatter dying down to the last whispers of conversation. Tenten led the class through their opening routine, Sakura walking around to correct form.

“Psst, Forehead!”

Sakura swiveled to find two blonde-haired women beckoning her over to the corner of the room. They switched stances and Sakura wandered over, adjusting Ino’s foot as she stepped backwards. “What are you doing here? Did you even take the beginner’s course?”

“Well, duh.” Ino flipped her long ponytail over her shoulder. “I passed last month, and the intermediate course last week. Didn’t Tenten tell you? She said I had a lot of pent up aggression that apparently translated well into my fighting style. Anyway, I saw you talking to Kakashi! Do I sense some tension? He’s totally bangable, you should go for it. And if you don’t, I just might. By the way, this is Temari, she’s Shikamaru’s girlfriend.”

Ino’s thoughts ran a mile a minute, and while anyone else would’ve been confused, Sakura had plenty of practice keeping up. “First of all—no, twist your wrist the other way—no, Tenten didn’t tell me. Though anybody could tell you’re always ready to fight someone, just didn’t think you’d wanna break a nail. Hello, Temari, it’s nice to finally meet you. And no! There’s nothing going on between me and that hippie dippy sloth. Why does everyone think that? Hit it if you want, I don’t care.”

“Nooo, that was supposed to spur you into action! I saw the way he looked at you, he’s totally into you! Admit it! Admit he looks good!”

“I’m walking away now, Ino. And great form, Temari, you’ve done this before, haven’t you?” Sakura gave the other blonde a warm smile before walking away to attend to the rest of her students.

“You didn’t deny it!” Ino hissed after her.

She clapped her hands twice as Tenten finished the last rep of her warmup. “Alright, pair up! Let’s lay out the pads. Half of us will spar, the other half can use bags to work on technique. Ino, come here, I wanna beat you up.” A cry of protest was heard from the corner. “I’m just kidding, now come here!”

* * *

 

Kakashi wasn’t _constantly_ late, but it was enough to make Sakura want to grind her teeth and pull her hair out.

_“Sorry, Sakura! There was a cat stuck in a tree!”_

_“These little men in suits stopped me to ask if I had ever heard of their lord and savior, Hashirama.”_

_“I got a little wrapped up on the way here. See, these guys were carrying this big sheet of cling wrap, and I walked right into it, and naturally…”_

_“I was coming to the gym, and all of a sudden, these two ninja jumped out of a puddle and attacked the old man I was walking with, and I defeated them, but then this dude with a huge sword showed up and I barely escaped with my life!”_

Sakura slammed a hand down on Shikamaru’s desk, but he didn’t even flinch. “Intimidation tactics don’t work on me, Sakura. Have you met my girlfriend?”

Sakura paused, puzzled at how such a seemingly composed woman like Temari could strike fear into the heart of the second-most aloof man she’d ever met… The first of which was why she was in this office in the first place!

“Come on, Shika, there’s gotta be something that you can do. I’m going to start losing students if he keeps cutting into my time.”

Shikamaru sighed heavily. Leaning over to the intercom microphone, he drawled, “Kakashi, to the main office please. Hatake Kakashi to the main office.”

“What are you doing?! And how did you even know if he was here?”

“You two are going to sit down and talk this out. Now.”

“Shikamaru!” Her protests were interrupted by a quick knock on the door followed by a shock of silver hair peeking through the crack.

“Yes?”

“Sakura wants to talk to have a little chat. You got time?” Without waiting for an answer, Shikamaru pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his desk drawer before ambling towards the door. “I’ll be back in a few.”

Sakura’s gaze shot back and forth between the two, incredulity on her face. “Wait, you’re leaving? What happened to being the mediator?”

“Not in my job description.” And then he was gone, and Sakura was alone with a tall, sweaty… slightly breathless Kakashi… who was staring at her. As she was staring at him. Fuck.

The smirk he gave her was infuriating. “You know, if you wanted to ask me out, you didn’t have to get Shikamaru to—”

“Over my dead body, Hatake.” Sakura growled, turning away from him. He chuckled deeply, the sound sending a shiver down her spine.

The chair scraped against the floor as he turned it to face her. She cursed inwardly as he perched his elbows on his knees, leaning into her personal space. The smell of his clean sweat fogged her mind. “What can I do for you, Sakura?”

_(Ah, shit, he smells good… Wait! No! Bitch, think, ohmygod.)_

“You can start by backing up a little.” That came out breathier than she intended. “And you know what my issues with you are, Hatake. Stop going into my class time. I’ve asked you nicely and not nicely and I don’t know what else I can do to make you understand.” She looked at him and was taken aback by the genuine concern on his face. “...Why are you looking at me like that?”

He didn’t respond right away. She watched as his dark eyes flitted across her face, all too aware of her heart picking up speed. Finally, he shifted in his seat and sat up, his towering height apparent even though he was sitting. “Are you busy before your class?”

Sakura shifted in her seat to face him. “Umm… This week?”

“Any week. Every week.”

“Why?”

“Come take my class. For free.” Kakashi smiled to himself, as if he were proud of this brilliant, groundbreaking idea.

Sakura gave him a disbelieving look. “And why on Earth would I do that? I’m a busy person, Kakashi.”

He didn’t seem to let her cynicism deter him. “No, look. You carry a lot of stress— Wait, before you yell at me, let me finish.” He held up a finger to cut her off before she tried to interrupt him. “As I was saying. You carry a lot of stress here—” he reached over to place his hand at the connection between her shoulder and neck. “—And here,” moving his fingers to brush up against her jawline. “Yoga can help with that, if you let it.”

His skin was extremely warm and Sakura gravitated towards him as he pulled away from her, trying to ignore the now obvious absence of his heat.  He fixed her with that look again. “I just want to help. And yes, I will try to be more conscious of the time. Though I’m sure you’ll remind me, should you decide to grace my class with your presence.”

This needed to end. Soon, Sakura decided, before she did something she regretted. And the quickest way to that was… “Fine. One class. And I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the clock.”

She wished she could smack that smug look off his face, but before she could tell him so, he rose from his chair and strode towards the door. “See you later.”

“Wait!” It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. He turned and looked at her expectantly. She didn’t even have anything to say, so she blurted out the first solution that came to her. “I’m going to your class, so come to mine. It’s only fair.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. “You just want to beat me up, don’t you?”

Sakura shrugged. “The thought honestly hadn’t occurred to me, but now that you mention it, it does sound nice. So you’ll come?”

Pondering on it for a moment, Kakashi hummed his approval. “Yeah, sure. It’s a date. See you Wednesday, Sakura.”

“Wait, it’s not a—” The door closed behind him. “It’s not a date…” she grumbled.

In the back of her mind, she had an inkling that Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, I am SO overwhelmed by how much love this story is getting! Like, really. I'm shooketh. If you may have noticed, I added more chapters because it's what they deserve. Thank you to the lovely YummyFoods for beta-ing this chapter <3 I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The girls in this class were far too giggly. Sakura gave them a wide berth and scrolled distractedly through social media as she waited for the man of the hour to arrive. She checked the clock. Two more minutes and he would officially be late and Sakura would have to chastise him in front of his groupies and that was _not_ something that she wanted to do, if the evil glares she could feel on her back were any indication.

“Sakura?” She looked up from her phone to see Temari standing a few feet away, eyebrows raised in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Sakura shrugged. “Kakashi offered me a free class, so I figured I’d try it out.”

Temari’s eyebrows continued their journey to her hairline. “He did _what_?”

“What?”

“Girl, Kakashi’s a stiff. He always makes sure people pay their dues.” She laughed and pulled out her phone. “Shika’s right, he must really like you.”

Sakura didn’t even get to respond as the squeals behind them got louder. The girls (and a couple of the guys, Sakura noted) rushed over to the window, tittering amongst themselves for a few moments before the door open and Kakashi walked in, sporting a navy muscle tank and the _tackiest_ harem pants he could’ve possibly ever found. Patchwork squares of red, brown, and blue sewn together by what had to be a blind grandmother with minor arthritis and Sakura was _fuming_ because how dare anyone look good in that?

“Good morning, Kakashi!” they chorused.

Sakura grimaced and turned away to pull her yoga mat from her bag. “What kind of weird-ass cult…”

She had unfurled her mat and and was laying it out next to Temari’s as Tenten rushed in the door. A quick “Hey” spilled from her lips as she hurried to get set up before Kakashi started teaching. When she finally plopped down on the other side of Sakura, her buns were askew and she was panting. “Hey, you’re here. I didn’t even have to bother you about joining me… Why is he on time?”

Temari just shrugged and the girls sat in silence as they watched the hustle around the rest of the room.

“Hey, umm, you with the brown hair? Can you set up the speaker? And you… Sorry, I don’t remember your name. Pull those curtains shut for me.” Kakashi’s obvious lack of effort didn’t seem to phase the students as they rushed to do his his bidding. Sakura watched his eyes scan around the room until they landed on her. “Sakura! You made it. Glad to have you here.”

“He knows who she is?”

“I’ve been taking this class for three months and he still hasn’t even asked for my name…”

The grumbles from the other students caused a blush to creep up her neck. He only knew her name because she’d been pestering him for months, not because she was any different from the rest of the class. Refusing to let them intimidate her, she gave Kakashi a mockingly sweet smile and tapped her wrist with a finger. He beamed back at her and then motioned for the rest of the class to settle down.

“We’re going to do something a little different today. Is that alright with everyone?” A couple people voiced their assent, and Kakashi crossed the room to the thermostat. He studied it for a moment before raising the temperature and cranking on the heat. “Hot yoga. Hope you all brought water. Let’s sweat a little today.”

He padded back to his mat and sat down, folding his legs in front of him. Sakura felt the temperature began to climb and she didn’t think it was entirely because of the heater. Wordlessly, the class copied his pose and soon there was no sound except deep breathing and the trickling of calming streams that resonated from the stereo.

She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to cast away those ridiculous pants from her mind. Just as she was getting somewhere, Kakashi began to talk, guiding them to their next pose. “Good, we’ve got our heads in the right place, right? Let’s go ahead and move on to our sun salutations. Everyone reach up… Remember your breathing… And now we’re bending down towards our feet slowly, not too fast. Focus on your muscles, relaxing each one individually, deliberately. They carry you throughout the day, they deserve the attention that you’re giving them…”

For some reason, Sakura felt herself getting more and more irritated as Kakashi droned on, and as the room got hotter, so did her temper. She felt as if he were trying to force his calm down her throat and she was choking on it. She wanted to spit it back in his face. There had to be a better way to do this. If she had to listen to one more person’s nose whistle as they inhaled violently, she was going to have to throw down.

It was ages before he finally finished and gave them a moment before their next set of moves. Sakura sat back on her mat and sipped at her water. The studio was stifling and the humidity of the room made it harder to breathe than Sakura would’ve liked.

Not wanting to waste air, she left herself out of Tenten and Temari’s conversation to observe the rest of the class as they chatted amongst each other. Did they actually find peace in this? Breathing and stretching? She preferred a more hands-on approach herself. She also doubted that half of them felt any sort of benefit from it aside from the eye candy that was Kakashi. Sure, his entire personality made her want to throw him into a wall, but if she dug deep (really deep) and put that aside, she wouldn’t mind him throwing her against the wall…

She shook her head, not wanting her thoughts to drift in that direction. Instead, she glanced at the clock.

There was a wolf whistle from the other side of the room and Sakura turned to see Kakashi stripping his shirt off, further mussing his already unruly hair. ( _It’s a shame he didn’t decide to lose those horrendous pants instead… Aww fuck it, I’m allowed to appreciate this._ ) The look he gave her as he ran his fingers through his locks made her blood boil in a not-entirely-unpleasant way. She couldn’t help breaking eye contact to rake her eyes down his torso to where the elastic of his pants sat low on his hips.

“It’s warming up in here. Feel free to do the same.”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. That was a challenge if she ever heard one. But she refused to play his games. That look said everything: he knew she was attracted to him, and he _knew_ that she hated it, because she hated him. Him and his lazy posture and his unbelievable excuses for everything and devilish smirk and abs sculpted by the gods and— She furrowed her brows, shaking her head incredulously. ( _Devilish smirk? What the fuck, who thinks that?)_

Apparently the rest of the class did, because it didn’t take a minute before everyone else had also rid themselves of exactly one article of clothing. Some of the girls were obviously itching to take off more, but Sakura was certainly glad they were able to restrain themselves.

Once everyone was comfortable, Kakashi restarted the lesson. Everyone but Sakura that is, being that she refused to take off her shirt in her effort to stick it to the man. The room was stifling at this point, which meant that the only sticking being done was Sakura’s shirt to her extremely sweaty back. And front. And underarms.

In short, she was dying.

Kakashi brought his right leg up, placing his foot against his thigh and turning his knee out in a Tree pose. “Alright, now hold that position. I’m going to come around and fix form. Don’t forget your breathing and engage your core.”

Every muscle in her body was screaming. She had severely underestimated the amount of effort this particular sort of exercise would take. Not only was she hot and sweaty, but she was feeling a stretch in muscles she didn’t even know she had. Her balance faltered a bit, and she brought her leg down in an attempt to catch herself. Frustrated and overheated, she tore her shirt over her head, leaving her nothing but leggings and a black sports bra. “Alright, fuck this, I give up.”

Kakashi didn’t give any indication that he’d noticed her little outburst from across the room, and Sakura was free to get back into position without the pressure of his scrutiny. She breathed deeply, annoyed at how humid the room was becoming. She didn’t even have to drink water. She was practically inhaling everyone’s gross sweat anyways.

“Enjoying yourself, Sakura?”

His voice came out of nowhere, and she was suddenly all too aware of how closely he was standing behind her. Even in the mugginess, she could feel the heat of his bare torso just inches from her back. Remembering his question, she nodded. “Yeah, this isn’t half bad, Hatake, I’ll give you that.”

He chuckled, reaching around to spread a palm across her stomach. “You’re not engaging your core. That’s why you keep losing your balance.” Sakura highly doubted _that_ was the reason, but she flexed her core just a tad to give him the benefit of the doubt. The hitch in his breath made her smile, and he moved his hand, running it across her waist and down to her hip. She wavered again when he slid to her inner thigh (not quite as high as she might’ve hoped), fingers splayed as he pushed back to stretch her adductor muscles further. He pressed closer to her to stabilize her form, holding her leg for a little while longer. When he spoke, she could feel his lips brush slightly against her ear. “Feel that?” Her other leg was trembling now. She nodded, not trusting herself with words. “Being flexible has many benefits, Sakura. I’d love to help stretch you out sometime. Work out some of those kinks…”

It was getting harder to breathe and Sakura was losing her will to resist him. His heat, the room’s heat, her heat… She was going to pass out if something didn’t happen soon. And then he’d win and she’d be forced to admit that he was—

“Kakashi, can you help me?” A shrill voice called him into the other side of the room, disrupting the peace and the moment, and he sighed before pulling away. The sudden absence of him left her shaken, and she found herself back on both feet before he instructed everyone to switch legs.

Her gaze followed him across the room, where he helped the girl balance, touching different parts of her body with no more than one or two fingers. Sakura couldn’t help but feel a little smug at the distance he kept between them, but her musings were interrupted by a sharp whisper from her other side.

“Psst! What the hell was that?” Tenten had scooted forward on her mat to look around Temari, who had a knowing smirk plastered on her face. There was nothing Sakura could do but offer an exaggerated shrug, turning back to the front as Kakashi resumed his place.

The rest of the lesson passed relatively quickly. Every time Kakashi glanced over to her, she could still feel the pressure of his hands on her body. In those moments, she had practically forgotten that she was even supposed to be mad at him. It’d been too long since… Well, since anything, and something about him set her on fire. She didn’t entirely hate it.

Remembering she had a mission, Sakura peeked at the clock. There were only ten minutes left. ( _Better start the cooldown. Maybe he’ll turn off the fucking heater._ ) She coughed. Obnoxiously. Thankfully, she didn’t have to do it another time, because Kakashi lifted his head from his bent form to receive her pointed look. He gave her a crooked grin, shaking his head as he lowered himself to the ground. A few others turned in her direction, but she dropped her head to avoid their gazes.

The last few minutes were spent in silent meditation. Sakura blinked rapidly, trying to ignore the sting of the sweat getting in her eyes. She was dreading the end, knowing that Tenten and Temari were sitting right next to her, waiting with questions she didn’t even know the answers to. Not to mention that she had basically forced Kakashi into spending almost four hours with her with this stupid class trade.

“I hope that you all enjoyed this new path our journey has taken today. Perhaps we will take more treks off the beaten path in the future. Namaste.”

Almost immediately after dismissal, the room burst into activity. Mats were rolled, water bottles were tossed here and there, chatter escalated to a dull roar in the periphery of Sakura’s mind, and Kakashi was quickly surrounded by a swarm of sweaty bodies before he even got to stand.

“I apologize, friends. I won’t be able to walk out with you this time. I’ve promised Sakura there that I’d join her class this morning. But I’ll see you all next week.”

Sakura had her back turned, but she could feel the 15 pairs of eyes boring into her back as she pulled a clean shirt out of her gym bag. She chose not to wear it, instead using it to wipe away the grime caking her body. By the time she had swiped it over her face, the herd had migrated to her.

“Hey, Sakura! Do you have room in your class today?”

“Sak! Kickboxing is super cool! Think I could join in?”

“LET ME IN!”

Sakura rolled her eyes, shooing them away from her personal space. “Sorry, guys, this class is advanced. You’re not allowed in until you pass the beginning and intermediate courses with Tenten. Besides, we’re full up. Any more bodies and we won’t have enough room for spars.” She gave a non-apologetic shrug and turned back to shuffling aimlessly through her bag, ignoring the grumbles and protests behind her. They faded away, the crowd milling through the door and out of the hot, still overwhelmingly stuffy room.

She squeezed her eyes shut, internally preparing herself for the interrogation to come… But then it didn’t.

“Hey, Sakura, Temari and I are gonna go grab a snack from next door, see ya, bye, text me if you need anyth—” The door shut behind them before Tenten had finished her sentence. Which left her with… ( _Shit fuck dammit those bitches how could they fuck what do I fuck just ACT NORMAL, SAKURA._ )

She took a deep breath and turned slowly towards Kakashi… Who wasn’t there. She looked around the studio suspiciously, half-expecting him to pop up from some random corner, but he was nowhere to be found and she threw her hands up in frustration. “What the fuck?!”

As if on cue, the door opened back up and Kakashi came through, hideous harem pants replaced by an unfairly delicious looking pair of gray sweats. Her eyes were unconsciously drawn to the glisten of sweat that shone on his bare torso. “Maa, Sakura, you’d think after yoga you’d feel a little more zen. Namaste, namaste.”

Sakura thrust a finger at him in warning. “Say namaste to me one more time. See what happens.” He grinned and she took a threatening step towards him. “And stop smiling at me!”

That pulled a laugh from his chest, which Sakura pointedly ignored in favor of padding over to the closets, pulling mats and standing punching bags from storage. While she busied herself with setup, the lights behind her went off and she heard the slide of windows being opened. The heater stopped buzzing in the walls, and she was grateful Kakashi was at least considerate enough to cool the room down before her class. However, it also meant that she couldn’t really see what she was doing.

She flipped the lightswitch in the closet a couple times, but the bulb was blown. Grumbling in irritation, she pulled out her phone from the waistband of her leggings and activated her flashlight. As she stepped deeper into narrow room, she felt a presence behind her. Kakashi stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned on the frame, watching her bustle through supplies. “You know, this is a lot of time. Your class doesn’t start for another twenty minutes.”

Even though the studio was dim, the sun shone through the back windows, illuminating his silver locks with an angelic glow, the look on his face was anything but. Swallowing thickly, Sakura returned her attention to pulling out mats from the farther corners of the closet. “Yeah, and you’re usually still teaching in what’s supposed to be blank time. What ever shall we do with the eternity we’ve been given?”

She didn’t hear him approach, but she felt his heat behind her before an arm slipped around her waist and his head settled on her shoulder. “I can think of a few things.”

One hand clenched around the firm vinyl edge of the mat, the other gripping her phone so tightly it could shatter, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to get a grip. Logic was screaming at her to pull away or push him away, to get some _distance_ between them. It was failing miserably. She could feel his breath on her neck and his sweat on her skin and _dammit_ , he smelled amazing.

Gathering her strength, she moved her hand from the mat to place it over his own. She lifted his skin from hers and twisted around, pushing a palm against his chest. He got the message and backed away to give her a little space. She sagged against the wall, knowing that if she looked at him, her resolve would crumble. “Kakashi…”

Her voice must’ve came out even needier than she realized, because he closed in on her again, one hand beside her head. With the other, he plucked her phone from her fingers and pocketed it. The flashlight was still on, and through his cotton sweats, it shone to create a perfect outline of— ( _Oh, fuck me._ )

She whimpered as heat shot to her core at the sight, and with a finger he lifted her chin. She dug her nails into her palms to stop herself from reaching out and touching him. His eyes were darker than she’d ever seen, that infuriating smirk replaced by lips barely parted as his tongue darted out to wet them. Well, he was already this close, what was he waiting for!? “Sakura,” he said softly. “I need you to say it.”

( _Say it? Say what? What even are words?_ )

Her mind was drawing a blank, especially as he dipped down to brush the lightest kiss onto her collar bone. “Sakura…” It was a warning.

She couldn’t take anymore. It felt like she was about to explode. “Damn it, Hatake, what are you waiting for? Kiss me already!”

He smiled. “That’s a good girl.”

She didn’t get to say anything more before his lips were on hers, insistent and hungry. They were softer than she expected, drawing the breath from her lungs and the sanity from her mind. He coaxed her bottom lip between his own, running his tongue along its fullness before biting it gently.

Sakura gasped, threading her fingers into his hair as he delved into her mouth. Their tongues danced together briefly as he wrapped an arm around her waist before pressing forward, slotting his hips against hers. She could feel him half hard against her stomach and she untangled herself from his locks to run her hands over smooth, muscled skin, relishing in the ridges of his abdomen and the dip of the V between his hips.

It would just be so easy to slip his sweats down, to kneel and take him into her mouth because _she wanted this_ . To infuriate and torture him the way he’s been doing to her for the past week, and she never thought she’d end up here, making out like a teenager in this closet with _Kakashi fucking Hatake_ , but she certainly wasn’t going to complain about it. Not if he could always make her feel the way she was feeling right now.

Emboldened, she slipped a hand between them to palm his erection, eliciting a low groan from the man as he ground against her. He nosed her head aside to lick a hot trail up her neck as he grabbed her thighs roughly and guided her legs around his hips. Somewhere between her own soft moans, she could hear a low curse as he snapped the strap of her sports bra. “Damn whoever invented these…” It didn’t deter him for long. He merely redirected his course, nipping at the sensitive tendons of her neck and shoulder.

He bit down on a particularly delightful spot, and there was a vague sensation that she belatedly recognized as pain as she threw her head back against the wall. It must’ve been loud; Kakashi stopped his ministrations immediately and looked at her. “Are you okay?”

“Ow…”  A dull throb began to bloom, and Sakura laughed breathlessly and reached back.

There was just enough light to see the boyish smile on Kakashi’s face, infectiously mischievous. God, he was gorgeous. She could look at him forever and never get tired of the sight. ( _Alrighty, Sakura, getting a little ahead of yourself there._ )  

She wrapped her arms back around his neck, fully intent on kissing the shit out of him when—  

“Sakura? Are you in here?”

They froze for a moment, eyes flickering between the door and each other. She should probably say something. “Yeah, I’m in the back. Gimme a second!”

Kakashi groaned, setting her down and leaning his forehead on her shoulder, the backs of his fingers caressing up and down her side while Sakura played with the waistband on his pants. He opened his eyes and smiled at her, leaning in teasingly. She scoffed and pushed his face away playfully before grabbing a roll of duct tape from a shelf and the last mat at the back of the closet. The lights in the studio flickered back on and her students’ voices began to filter into the room.

“Put a shirt on, Hatake.” She teased as she passed him.

“Wait.” He reached over to smooth her hair, tucking a lock behind her ear as he smiled softly.

Sakura hummed cynically. “So this is what you do, huh?” He quirked an eyebrow. She shrugged and waved the hand holding the duct tape flippantly. “Woo girls with your pretty face, make out with them in dark corners and convince you to come home with you?”

God, he had to stop smiling or he was going to give her a heart attack. “Is that the next step in this process? I could go along with that.”

Tossing an amused snort over her shoulder, she began to haul the mat out of the closet. “In your dreams.”

If anyone was surprised to see her come out of the closet, a shirtless yoga instructor in tow, they were smart enough to not say anything. To her.

“Hey, Kakashi?” Temari spoke up while she wrapped her hands. “Your phone light is on.”

( _Shit._ )

Kakashi looked down, pulling Sakura’s phone out of his pocket and switching off the light. He hesitated for a moment, then held it out to her. “Uhh, here.”

It took a moment for Sakura to get over her mortification. She swiped the phone from his hand and stuck it under the strap of her sports bra. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

Tenten clapped her hands twice, shouting instructions for setup. “Yeah, yeah, we can sort out the pool later. You all owe me money, but it’s time to start, so get your asses moving!”

Sakura turned to her in horror. “You had a bet going?!”

Her assistant grinned at her before jumping to help some of the students line the floor with mats. With a groan, Sakura decided it was best to let her live another day. She addressed the rest of the class. “Alright, since all of you decided to bring money for this, I have a proposal.” The activity in the room paused and she grinned. “Spar with me. If you win, I’ll double your winnings. If you lose, you give it to me.”

She heard shouts of agreement from all corners of the room. “Alright, who’s first?” A hand went up in the back of the room, attached to none other than a freshly shirted Kakashi.

“That would be me.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Does Kakashi even stand a chance?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the wait, y’all! My laptop went kaputz, I had to wait for repairs, I went on vacation, came back, then my muse went on vacation, and now here we are. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Special thanks to mummapaintstheblues for looking over this chapter for me. <3

While Tenten drilled the class through warmups, Sakura fumed. She walked around the class slowly, adjusting a wrist there, a leg here. Feeling Ino and Temari watching her from the back of the room, she made her way towards them. Luckily, they were in the opposite corner where Kakashi had planted himself, following the drills attentively.

“What.” She wasn’t in the mood to play games anymore.

“Forehead,” Ino started. “It’s just a little bet, why are you so mad?”

“I’m mad, _Pig_ , because I’m not a toy. He was fucking with me to win some stupid pool that _you_ — no, I know you had something to do with it. I’m not an idiot— put together. So forgive me if I don’t appreciate being made a fool of.” Sakura didn’t wait for Ino’s response before wandering away.

Whatever attraction, whatever fever heat Sakura had felt in that supply closet had evaporated. She was _pissed._ And Kakashi could see it, judging by the way his cocky smile fell into a look of concern. Whether for her or for himself was anyone’s guess.

“You’re up, Hatake.”

Her students cleared the mats quickly, sitting in a circle surrounding them as she wrapped her hands. She took extra care with her bandages today, buying herself time to calm down before she beat the shit out of this pretentious ass. It wouldn’t do to lose her cool in front of everyone. Kakashi had stepped forward and was stretching, though his eyes never strayed from her.

She made a show of studying her work, holding out a hand in front of her. When she shifted her gaze past her fingers to his face, her gaze turned icy. His Adam’s apple bobbed and she couldn’t help but smirk. He was _nervous_. Good.

They circled each other for a minute, sizing each other up. ( _But you know exactly what size he is, don’t you, Sakura?_ ) She flushed briefly at the thought of what he was packing in those grey sweats, but it was quickly banished by the image of him raising his hand and admitting, in front of all those people, that he had actually put money on the idea that he could get into her pants. How _dare_ he?

By the time they stopped and put their hands up, Sakura was livid. So much for not losing her cool. “First to three. Don’t pull punches.”

She swung a leg up towards his shoulder, but he blocked it with his forearm, digging his heels in to absorb the impact. He looked at her wide-eyed. “Wait, wouldn’t that hurt?”

“I sure fucking hope so.”

Sakura retracted her leg to follow with a flurry of jabs, all of which Kakashi dodged. He had given up on trying to talk to her, instead choosing to focus on not getting hit by her tiny fists of doom.

She kept him on the defensive, surprised at how well he was doing. But it couldn’t last forever. She dug for an opening, but he held strong. Maybe she could distract him in other ways…

“Well well, look at you. Who would’ve guessed you could actually move at a decent speed,” she taunted. She swept a leg under him and it caught, sending him crashing on the mat. “Oops. Looks like a spoke too soon. One.”

There was a sympathetic hiss from the crowd. He groaned, arching his back to dissipate the pain before rolling over and pulling himself up. His eyes had gone dark and determined, making it unreasonably hard for Sakura to stay angry with him. She could feel the heat of his stare on the back of her neck as she turned away, walking in a small circle to catch her breath.

“Sakura…” He practically growled her name as he settled into an offensive stance.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ( _Great, you invite Mr. Zen to your class so you can kick his ass and it turns out he actually knows what he’s doing. Just my luck._ )

“Kakashi?” She invited him to attack.

He stepped forward, leading with a fist. Sakura caught it in her palm as she grabbed his wrist and pulled her towards him. She brought a knee up to his abdomen, but he blocked it with his other hand and pushed her away from him. She fell backwards to roll and land back on her feet and took the opportunity to charge him again. He might be stronger, but she was faster, and she used her speed to drive him into a corner. When he was out of options, she moved to punch him, stopping just short of his face. “Two.”

She retreated, turning back to him just in time to watch him lift the collar of his shirt and wipe his face, offering her a flash of his stomach that immediately had Sakura’s own fluttering. Especially since she could remember the way it flexed under her fingertips not even an hour earlier… She brushed the thought away, refusing to get distracted.

He put his hands up right away, his brows set in grim determination. Sakura had never seen such a look on him before. He was always so relaxed and nonchalant… She wasn’t sure if she liked it.

There wasn’t really a chance to mull over it before they were back at it, Kakashi choosing to take the offensive. He managed to graze her side with a fist and she stumbled, giving him enough leverage to grab her by the arm and pull her against him with his forearm wrapped around her neck.

“One. Don’t get cocky, Sakura.”

Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as he backed off, leaving her head spinning and skin prickling with goosebumps. His touch was driving her insane.

( _Don’t get cocky? I’ll show you cocky, you cocky cock!_ )

As she spun to face him, she allowed herself the freedom to study him. She dragged her eyes down his form as he walked away from her, watching the way his back muscles flexed under his black tank top, how his shoulders rose and fell as he panted for breath, his legs as he— There! The slight hitch in his left knee as he brought his leg forward told her everything she needed to know to win this match. But she would play first.

Falling into a defensive stance, she gave the upper hand to Kakashi. As predicted, he moved forward fluidly, closing the distance between them quickly. Sakura blocked a precise kick to the ribs with both her palms and saw her opening. Using the leverage of his foot in her hands, she twisted and brought an elbow down across his knee. She didn’t use enough force to injure him, merely to incapacitate for a moment.

A sharp inhale through his teeth told her that she hit her mark, and she dropped his foot only to tackle him to the ground. She loomed over him, her knees on either side of his waist and his wrists trapped by her grip on either side of his head.

“Three.”

The hair that had fallen from the elastic brushed his cheeks as he stared wide-eyed up at her. Sakura panted above him, their breath mingling as they studied each other. She had yet to move, despite the fact that she knew that she definitely should. She should get off of him and walk away and never speak to him again… Right?

His face betrayed nothing, but his eyes blazed with heat. A cough behind them had Sakura scrambling off him, brushing the nonexistent dirt from her pants before offering a hand to Kakashi. He didn’t hesitate to grab it as she pulled him up off the floor, but she refused to spare him another glance. Instead, she whirled on her assistant with her hands on her hips.

“Tenten?”

* * *

 

Sakura exited the studio an hour later, significantly richer than she had been when she entered that morning. She shouldered the door to the locker room aside and walked along the aisles to the second to last row. Ino and Tenten were already there, gathering things from their bags to shower.

She could feel their gaze on her back as she dug through her bag for her bathing suit, stuffed the rest of her belongings in her locker and exited the room without a glance at either of them. They knew she was mad. She didn’t need to spell it out for them. Her love life wasn’t a form of entertainment and it was intrusive for them to even joke about it, let alone actually place a lottery on.

Shaking her head, she dipped in to the bathroom quickly to change before heading across the gym to the amenities section. She could already feel the knots in her body tightening, but it was nothing a massage and a trip to the sauna couldn’t fix.

For half an hour, she let Genma knead her like pasta dough, groaning heartily as he turned her limbs to noodles. She nodded her thanks as she staggered towards the sauna, intent on forgetting whatever had transpired in that wonderfully dark supply closet.

She grabbed a clean towel from the pile sitting next to the door, wrapping it around herself before reaching back to untie the knots in her bathing suit top. On principle, she decided to keep her bottoms on, on the off chance some pervert decided to wander in and try something. The spa was reserved for only VIP members and instructors and Sakura knew them all, but one could never be too careful.

Thankfully, the sauna was empty, only steam billowing out to greet her as she opened the door. She settled into a corner of the wooden bench, leaning back against the tile as she stretched her legs out in front of her. Though far muggier than Kakashi’s hot yoga session, Sakura just found herself glad that it didn’t smell like sweat and other unpleasant body odors as she breathed deeply, sinking further into relaxation.

Of course, it couldn’t last.

It hadn’t been five minutes when the door opened, the white clouds parting to reveal the very last person she wanted to see.

He closed the door behind him and sat on the bench her legs were currently laying across, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He didn’t look at her or attempt to make conversation. He just… sat there. Naked.

Suddenly feeling a lot less calm and a lot more like she wanted to bash in his face, she swung her legs to the floor and got up to leave. However, his light grip around her wrist made her pause.

“Your number.”

She turned towards him. “What?”

“The bet was that I could get your number.”

“But I didn’t give you my number.”

“I got it from Genma.”

“How does Genma have my number?”

“Ino.”

“Why would Ino give Genma my number?”

“So he could give it to me.”

“Oh.”

Sakura contemplated the exchange for a moment, ignoring Kakashi’s hand still grasping at her wrist, his thumb absently stroking the inside of her wrist. She turned towards him, intent on flooring him with a look so malevolent his children’s children would have nightmares about it because, after all, he was not forgiven for the stunt that he’d pulled in class. It was then, however, that she realized he was staring up at her. Shirtless. Pantsless. The only thing between her and his… _endowment_ …was a flimsy white towel.  

She could almost hear the wires in her brain short circuit as her eyes ran down his body, committing every detail to memory as well as she could. When she could finally drag her gaze back up to his face, she was surprised to find that he looked expectant. Did he ask her something? Was she so fixated on the planes of his body that she had completely missed the sound of his voice?

( _Wait, you dumb hoe, you’re supposed to be angry at him!_ )

All too suddenly, she jerked her wrist from his hold, clutching her towel to her chest and fixing him with that look she was supposed to give him, though it definitely lacked the intensity she had been hoping for.

Sakura shook her head and turned away from him. “It doesn’t matter what the bet was for, Kakashi. You used me.”

“I didn’t,” he pleaded. “What happened in the closet was me getting caught up in the moment. It was a mistake, it won’t happen again.”

Sakura’s heart fell. “It was a _mistake_?”

“That’s not what I meant.” She heard him sigh behind her, the wooden bench creaking as he shifted in his seat. “I meant… That wasn’t how I imagined kissing you for the first time.”

Even with the heat of the sauna, she could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks. “So how did this little fantasy of yours go, then?”

There was a pause before the wooden bench creaked again. She could feel him behind her. “Let me show you.”

It was hard to breathe as he placed a hand on her waist and turned her body to face him, tilting her chin up with a finger as he searched her eyes. Her breath was shaky and she cursed him to hell and back for having this sort of effect on her.

“Have dinner with me.”

Sakura furrowed her brows in confusion. “What?”

Kakashi smiled mischievously. “You asked me to show you my fantasy. So have dinner with me and I’ll show you.”

She stepped away from him, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “What are you up to, Hatake?”

“I promise, Haruno. Nothing untoward. Just give me a chance here, that’s all I’m asking.” He held his hands up in surrender, and Sakura eyed the towel, willing it to slip _just a little bit_ … When she had a brilliant idea.

Sakura crossed her arms and cocked a hip. “I have a wager.” She took Kakashi’s curious look as a signal to continue. “You can’t get me to kiss you on a first date. If I win, you clean the studio after my class. For the rest of the year.”

Kakashi’s lips parted in a crooked grin. “And if I win?”

She shrugged. “I’ll clean the studio after yours?”

He laughed and shook his head. “No, not good enough.” He tapped his chin. “You know… My cousin is getting married next month. I can’t exactly turn up alone…”

“You want me to be your date? That’s way more than I’m asking from you!” Sakura protested.

Kakashi smirked. “Then it’s probably in your best interest that you win, right?”

After a few seconds of her mouth flapping uselessly and trying to kickstart her brain, Sakura huffed. “Fine. I agree to your terms.”

He flashed her another infuriating smile. “Guess I better pull out all the stops.”

Deciding to leave this small, hot-and-only-growing-hotter-by-the-second room before she did something she regretted, Sakura nodded curtly and walked through the rolling steam to the door. She tugged on the handle forcefully, but the door refused to budge. She tried a few more times, the glass rattling in protest.

Kakashi coughed awkwardly behind her. “Umm, Sakura? You have to press the exit button.”

Sakura looked around incredulously for a moment before zeroing in on a flashing green light beside the door. Hesitantly, she brought her finger up and pushed it. The light turned red as the lock clicked open and she dashed out of the room as fast as she could.

It was only when she was halfway down the hall that she paused, groaning in embarrassment before trudging her way back to the locker room. Not only the door, but how could she agree to that _stupid_ bet? Of course, she was going to lose! Look at him!

She got dressed in a tizzy, flying out of the gym before digging her phone out of her gym bag. When she tapped the screen, the only notification was a text from an unfamiliar number.

 ** _I’ll pick you up at 6:30. I promise I won’t be late._** **_;)_**

* * *

 

“Hey, you know when girls say they have nothing to wear but they really have a shit ton of stuff in their closet that they just don’t want to wear? Well, I _really_ don’t have anything to wear. Please help me.”

 _“I thought you were mad at me, Forehead. After that cold shoulder you gave me and Tenten in the locker room?”_  Ino’s voice sounded annoyed, but Sakura could tell there was room for negotiation if she turned on the charm.

Biting her tongue, Sakura put her phone on speaker mode and set it on her dresser as she rifled through the drawers for the millionth time that hour. “Please, Ino. I’m sorry for before. You’re the only one I can trust with this. I need to look amazing.”

She moved to her closet to flip through her hangers one more time. How on earth could she not find one suitable outfit? Should she even be dressing up? This was Kakashi for crying out loud, how much effort was _he_ even going to put into this? Did he put effort into anything? What if she dolled up for him and he showed up in those _ludicrous_ harem pants? Sakura shivered at the thought.

There was silence on the other end of the line. Sakura crept back to her phone, eyeing it nervously. “Ino?”

 _“....You’re lucky I love you, bitch. I’ll be there in 30.”_ Sakura pumped a celebratory fist in the air before rushing to the bathroom to shave… Well, everything. She primped and plucked and lotioned every inch of her skin and was out in time to greet Ino at the door with a towel wrapped around her head.

Ino’s eyes were on her phone, a garment bag with several hangers slung over her shoulder. She glanced up at Sakura briefly as she stepped into the apartment. “We have to do something about those bags under your eyes.”

Sakura nodded, closing the door before heading into the kitchen to stick a pair of spoons in the freezer. When she got back to her bedroom, Ino had already spread the outfits she brought on the bed and was tapping away at her phone again. “Sakura, what’s your address?”

Sakura picked up what she figured was a top and held it up in an attempt to decipher the strappy garment. “You’ve been here how many times and you still don’t know my address?”

Ino rolled her eyes. “Well yeah, I know where you live, but that doesn’t mean I _know where you live_.”

“....That’s fair. 235 North Water Street, Apartment 2D.”

“Thank you!” With the swish of a sent message, Ino locked and pocketed her phone before eyeing Sakura more fully. “No, not that. First things first, where are you going?”

Sakura shrugged. “He just said dinner at 6:30. I didn’t get any more information than that.”

“Ugh, men.” Ino tapped her chin a couple times before turning to Sakura’s dresser and opening a few drawers. Pulling out a pair of white skinny jeans, she laid them on the bed next to a low cut black top. “Try this. You’ve got small boobs so you don’t need a bra.”

“Hey!”

“What? If he wasn’t into it, he wouldn’t be asking you out. We need to do your hair and makeup first though. Can’t risk staining those pants. Come on.” Ino ushered Sakura into the bathroom and sat her on the closed toilet seat. She disappeared to retrieve the spoons from the freezer, pressing them under Sakura’s eyes. Ten minutes of Ino blending the skin off of her face and dousing it in setting spray, Sakura turned towards the mirror to admire her friend’s handiwork.

To say she was pleasantly surprised was an understatement. The neutral tones that Ino had patted into her face kept Sakura looking more like herself than she expected, which was a change from Ino’s usual style. The only bold pop of color was the highlight that Ino had swiped across her cheeks, which was an iridescent shade of gold when it caught the light at the right angle.

Ino didn’t give her any more time to gawk at herself as she shook the towel from Sakura’s head. After a quick blow dry, Ino whipped out the iron to curl Sakura’s hair into loose pink waves. The two stood in silence as Ino worked, and Sakura began to grow more and more nervous about the evening ahead.

“What’s on your mind, Forehead?” Ino said, running her fingers through Sakura’s hair.

Sakura sighed. “First date jitters, that’s all. It’s been a while… And despite how infuriating Kakashi is, I think I could like him.”

Ino smiled softly. “I think he’d be good to you. And you deserve a guy that’s good to you. Just be yourself, but we already know he likes you. Dude hasn’t exactly been subtle about it.” She patted Sakura’s bottom playfully. “Now go get dressed.”

Sakura thanked Ino with a hug and moved back to the bedroom to dress while the blonde dug through the bottom of Sakura’s closet in search of the perfect shoe. After Sakura was clothed, Ino pulled at her blouse, rolled the bottom of her pants and stuck her feet in a pair of black strappy stilettos before stepping back for a full picture. “You look perfect. Kakashi won’t even know what hit him.”

“Are you sure?” Sakura walked over to the mirror, twisting back and forth to see the outfit. “I feel like this is false advertising.”

“It’s not false advertising, it’s showing you care by putting in a little effort.” Ino pulled a burgundy leather jacket from the garment bag and held it out to Sakura. “You’re gonna need this.”

Taking the jacket, Sakura pulled Ino back into another hug. “Thanks, Pig. You’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah. I better get going.” They gathered all of Ino’s belongings and ushered her out the door. “Let me know how it goes!”

Sakura waved her goodbye. “Yeah, and don’t think I don’t know about you and Genma. You owe me details!”

Ino laughed, but didn’t bother to turn around on her path down the hallway. Sakura closed the door behind her and had just tidied up the mess they had made when a quick knock signalled another visitor.

Glancing quickly into the mirror, Sakura smacked her lips together a few times as she made her way to answer it. She paused, taking a few calming breaths and rolling her shoulders back. ( _Don’t be nervous. You don’t need to be nervous. It’s just Kakashi._ )

She pulled the door open, revealing her date for the evening, who luckily was _not_ in harem pants. In fact, his pants fit him quite well, as did the black button up his donned on his top half, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Kakashi looked up from the ground and Sakura smiled by the faint surprise in his eyes as they roved her body. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She replied.

Remembering himself, he cleared his throat and stepped forward to give her a small kiss on the cheek. “You look amazing… I don’t think we’ve ever seen each other out of gym clothes.”

Sakura laughed. “No, I suppose not. But thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself, Hatake.”

“So… You ready to go?” He offered her his arm.

Sakura nodded, grabbing her bag before locking up her apartment. She tucked her arm into the crook of his elbow and smiled up at him. “Lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry y'all, I know I said this was going to be the last chapter, but it wasn't in the cards. Many many thanks to hypereuni for beta-ing this chapter for me <3 You helped so much.

Ino’s words echoed in Sakura’s head as they walked towards Kakashi’s…vehicle. 

( _ ‘You’re going to need it.’ A leather jacket… Of course _ .)  

Sakura eyed Kakashi as he pulled his arm gently from hers and walked towards his ride. She stopped a few feet away. “You drive… a motorcycle.” 

“I do.” He had left his jacket on the seat when he went up to get her. He shrugged it on and turned around, gesturing between them. “Look, we match.”

Sakura shot him a skeptical look. He unclipped a helmet from the side and made his way back to her. “I promise, I’m a very safe driver. But if you’re uncomfortable, we could call a cab or take your car.” His voice was low and understanding as he offered her the helmet and it made her feel safe. Like she could trust him.

“Well, helmet hair isn’t something I was planning on this evening, but I can be flexible.” Sakura replied as she took the helmet from his hands. 

Kakashi grinned at her. “I’m sure you can be.” 

Sakura pushed playfully at his chest. “Perv. Let’s go.” There was no fighting the smile that split her lips. 

She watched curiously as he mounted the bike, kicking up the stand and starting the engine. Shedding an internal tear for her hair, Sakura worked the helmet over her head. She lifted the visor and clung to Kakashi’s shoulders as she swung a leg over the seat behind him. The seat was clean and there were platforms for her feet, but she was definitely starting to question all of her wardrobe choices as a puff of dark smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe.

Whatever protests she had stilled in her throat as Kakashi placed his own helmet on his head and revved the engine. The bike swayed as he shifted his weight and Sakura clung tighter to his shoulders. He turned his head to look at her, a smile in his eyes as he took both of her hands in his, leading her arms to wrap tightly around his waist. 

Her heart was pounding out of her chest by the time Kakashi twisted the ignition and kicked off, turning quickly onto the street. Sakura clung tightly, pressing her head against his back and squeezing her eyes shut. They could’ve been driving for hours and she would’ve been none the wiser; there was only the wind rushing around them and Kakashi’s back pressed against her. She could feel him weaving around cars and turning a few times, but she couldn’t bring herself to look up.

“Sakura, if you keep hiding, you’re going to miss it.” Kakashi’s voice came through the helmet, surprising her. “And if you could stop squealing, it’d be greatly appreciated. Let’s save that for later, shall we?”

Sakura snorted, uncurling her fingers from his shirt to hit him lightly on his chest. His low laugh echoed around her from the helmet’s speakers, sending a pleasant chill up her spine. “I didn’t know you could hear me.”

“Yeah, I had Shikamaru rig up this mic system for the helmets.”

“Oh? Do you often take girls on dates with your motorcycle? Trying to pass yourself off as cooler than you really are?” She teased.

“Ouch, that’s cold. And to think I actually took the time this afternoon to buy you a helmet. You wound me.” 

Sakura blinked. “You bought this helmet for me?” 

“Of course I did. Can’t have you riding along with no protection now, can I?” Kakashi made a quick right, the sun shining harshly into Sakura’s eyes as she turned her head. She squinted and looked the other way, the light reflecting intermittently on the windows of the buildings. “Hey. Look to your left.”

Sakura blinked a few times before looking back towards the sun, allowing her eyes to adjust to the sudden onslaught of brightness. When she could finally see clearly, she took in the sight and grinned. 

It wasn’t often that Sakura was able to see the ocean as she was usually stuck in one session or another, but it was infinitely rarer that she was able to witness a view like this.

Kakashi turned onto an unpaved shoulder of the road. Sakura hopped off, removing her helmet before wandering towards the railing. The sea breeze whipped through her hair, nipping at the exposed skin on her face and chest, but she hardly felt it as she watched the water roll, the setting sun glinting off the peaks of the waves. The horizon glowed a bright orange, mingling with shades of red and pink as it stretched up towards a blue-grey sky.

A warm arm encircled her shoulders and pulled her closer to an even warmer body. She didn’t take her eyes off of the view as she turned to wrap her arms around his waist, one hand sliding in between his shirt and his jacket. 

It was strange how natural this all felt, how easy it was to be close to this man that had spent the last few months getting on her last nerve. How it hadn’t even been a full day and their relationship had made a complete turnaround. And now she was here with him, watching the day fade away and thinking that there was nowhere else she’d rather be. 

And it was with that thought that she tore her gaze from the horizon and looked up. Kakashi didn’t look at her right away, which gave her the chance to study him a little closer. It was unfair, really, how beautiful he was. There was a look of contentment on his face as he watched the sun sink into the ocean, and from this distance, she could see the beginnings of crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes. His cheekbones were high and the shadows cut a strong jawline that made Sakura want to kiss along it, to find out which spots would make him make more of the sweet noises she had heard earlier in that supply closet. 

Then he looked at her and smiled and no one could blame her for the expression that she  _ knew _ was on her face. Everything in her body was screaming for him, but before she could make her move, he spoke. “You like it?”

Sakura blinked a few times and cleared her throat. “What?”

He laughed. “The view. I’m glad we were able to catch the sunset.”

“Oh yeah.” Sakura totally didn’t forget about that. “It’s beautiful. See what happens when you’re on time?”

“Yeah, that definitely seems to be working out in my favor today.” He grinned at her as he leaned closer, tightening his grip around her shoulders, his lips just a whisper away from hers. 

Sakura’s eyes fluttered closed and she sucked in a breath, her heart racing… And then she remembered. 

“Hey, you haven’t even fed me yet, mister.” She said lowly, before she released her grip on his waist and wagged a finger at him. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

Kakashi smirked and rolled his eyes. “Ooh, you caught me.”

“What are you waiting for, Hatake? I’m starving.” She called over her shoulder as she trekked back to his bike. If there was a little more sway to her hips, it was completely unintentional. 

“Just admiring the view.” From the sound of it, Sakura knew he was not facing the sunset. She smiled to herself as she picked up  _ her  _ helmet. It was going to be an interesting night.

The rest of the ride had taken another fifteen minutes and by that time, Sakura was about ready to eat Kakashi if he didn’t feed her soon. Her stomach grumbled in protest as he helped her off the back of his bike and hung their helmets on each of the handles before holding his hand out to her.

“You okay?” He laughed as she placed her hand in his. The feeling of his fingers interlacing with hers

“Hungry…” She pouted. “I haven’t eaten since this morning.”

He smiled gently. “I’m sorry it took so long to get here. But the wait shouldn’t be too long.”

Sakura let Kakashi lead her out of the parking lot and onto an avenue of shops and restaurants. People milled around them, stopping to greet each other and marvel at the window displays. There was an air of easiness that made Sakura feel relaxed despite the tightness of her empty stomach. Halfway down the block, Kakashi veered to the side and ushered her inside a restaurant. 

It was warm inside the small shop. Stuffy, even. But the scent of pork and fragrant broth flooded her nose, making her mouth water before she even registered where they were. She was guided into a booth, Kakashi sliding into the seat across from her. Within seconds, they were served with hot tea and water.

As Sakura studied the menu, she could feel Kakashi watching her. Her eyes flickered towards him. “What?”

Kakashi leaned forward, his arms crossed in front of him on top of his menu. He looked at her gently and smiled. “Nothing. I’m just glad you agreed to this. You look amazing, by the way. Even with your helmet hair.”

“Uhh, have you looked in a mirror? My hair can’t be any worse than yours.” Sakura shot back.

She regretted it as soon as she said it. She knew what he was going to do, and she was not planning on turning into a dripping pink puddle in the middle of the restaurant. But there was no tearing her eyes away as he reached up, tousling the silver mess on his head. She had to choke back a small whine as she watched him bring his other hand up, honing in on the way his fingers ran through the longer strands on the top of his head. ( _ Oh, shit fuck he looks so good… You’re weak, Sakura! Weak! _ )

It must’ve been running slow motion through her brain like an erotic movie rewind because the next thing Sakura knew, the waitress was standing next to their table, smiling down at them. “Hey! Kakashi! Is this her?”

Sakura looked between the waitress and Kakashi, her brows furrowed in confusion. Kakashi chuckled. “Hey, Ayame. This is Sakura.” He stared at the waitress, obviously trying to tell her something that Sakura was not privy to.

“Sakura!” The waitress, evidently named Ayame, beamed at her. “It’s so nice to meet you. Kakashi’s told us so much about you.”

Well. This was news. Sakura tried to keep the surprise off her face as she replied, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you too.”

Kakashi coughed, obviously uncomfortable. Ayame just gave him a playful look as she took out her notepad. “The usual, Kakashi?” He nodded. “And you, Sakura?”

( _ Oh, right. Hungry. _ ) She was so caught up imagining how wonderful Kakashi’s hair would feel running through her own fingers to remember to make a decision.

“Uhh… I guess I’ll have the same?”

“Perfect! I’ll go ahead and get those started for you.” Ayame winked at Kakashi before heading to the back to place their orders.

Kakashi groaned and rubbed a hand over his face when Sakura fixed him with a curious look. She wasn’t really looking to bother him about it, content with the mortified look on his face, but it seemed that he wasn’t as content on letting the moment go. “I don’t talk about you that much.”

Sakura quirked an eyebrow as she reached for her water. “I didn’t say anything, Kakashi.”

“I know, but I should clarify.” Kakashi stared at her for a moment longer before shaking his head and sipping his tea, apparently losing some internal argument with himself. 

“Hey, it’s fine. We can let it go, no weird feelings. Okay?” Sakura put down her water and reached across the table to place a comforting hand on his arm. He had taken off his jacket before sitting down, leaving his forearms bare. The heat of his arm under Sakura’s touch reminded her of their yoga session this morning, when he had wrapped it securely around her waist as he guided her through the unfamiliar motions. She definitely wouldn’t mind being wrapped up in him again… Except she couldn’t. At least not tonight. She scowled. 

( _ You’re an idiot, Sakura. Betting that he couldn’t get a kiss. You masochistic fuck, look at him! How many times are you going to have to deny that tonight? Too many. That is the only answer. Oh god, his skin is so nice…) _

“What are you thinking about?” Kakashi asked. 

Sakura pursed her lips to keep the curl of her lips under control. “This morning.”

“Ahh, I see,” Kakashi sighed, reclining against the back of the seat, his hands clasped behind his head. “Anything in particular?”

Her eyes traced the veins running up his forearms, the pose making his biceps look wonderful underneath the black fabric of his shirt. It was obvious he spent a decent amount of time at the gym, even when he wasn’t teaching. “How come… How come I never saw you? Before that day?”

As obvious as her distraction was, Kakashi chose not to comment on it. “What? That day with the note?” Sakura nodded. “Maybe you weren’t looking? I’ve been going to Shikamaru’s for years.”

“What? No, that can’t be right. I’ve been friends with Shika since college and going to that gym since he inherited it from his dad. I’ve never once seen you.” She protested.

Kakashi shrugged. “Maybe you weren’t looking. I can be a ninja when I want to be.”

Sakura was in the middle of building up a rebuttal when a bowl of steaming ramen was placed in front of her, followed closely by Kakashi’s own bowl. She looked up to see Ayame balancing a tray on one hand. “Alright! Here you go: two miso ramen with extra chashu pork and an extra egg, and a grilled saury here,” —she placed a plate next to Kakashi’s ramen— “and a plate of gyoza for Sakura. Don’t worry, the gyoza’s on the house. Almost no one but Kakashi eats the saury, but we keep it stocked for him.” Ayame lifted a hand to whisper to Sakura conspiratorially. “You don’t want to see him if we were to run out.”

Sakura smiled thankfully up at her. Kakashi rolled his eyes, though the expression on his face was equally playful as he quipped, “Thank you, Ayame, you can go now.” 

The waitress simply laughed. “Enjoy, you two. Holler if you need anything.”

When they were finally alone again, Sakura finally spoke. “You two seem close.”

He looked at her, noodles hanging from his chopsticks. “Yeah, we grew up together. My dad used to take me here a lot as a kid, and Ayame was always running around the store or bugging me. It’s her dad’s shop.” He slurped a bite into his mouth as he picked apart his saury. 

Sakura nodded in understanding. “That’s really cool actually. So you grew up in this neighborhood?” 

Kakashi hummed, drinking his soup. “Yeah, it’s a tight knit place. Plenty of us grew up together on this block and we take care of each other.”

“You live on this street?” 

“Mhmm. Three buildings down, actually.” 

“Oh. Interesting…” She mused, popping a dumpling into her mouth. Closing her eyes, she savored the flavors that danced in her mouth. The ramen was just as delicious, and the next few minutes were spent in silence as they continued to eat. 

She was about halfway done with her food when a strange sort of awkwardness settled over her, like someone was looking at them. It was strange. She didn’t know anyone on this side of town. 

“Hey, Kaka-sensei!” 

Kakashi froze mid-bite, his eyes flicking towards the door. His shoulders fell, and he mumbled something that sounded like “oh no” around his noodles before swallowing quickly and raising his hand in greeting. 

A blond man, who really couldn’t have been any older than Sakura, bounded over to the table and leaned on it with both hands. “What are you wearing? I didn’t think you owned anything that required buttons.” Without a breath, he launched into some story about him and his best friend supergluing their hands together, which made going to the bathroom extremely awkward and— 

“Naruto.” Kakashi hissed through his teeth, glancing pointedly at Sakura. “Do you mind?”

Naruto stopped abruptly, looking blankly between the two in the booth. Sakura stared back at him, more curious than annoyed at what transpiring around her. Was he dense? Or did he really not care that Kakashi was obviously on a date? 

“You look familiar.” Naruto said to Sakura. “I’ve seen you somewhere before… But where… The library? No, I don’t go there. The park? No, that can’t be it. Maybe it was—”

Across the table, Kakashi cleared his throat. “Naruto… Please go the fuck away.”

“But Kaka-sensei—” 

“Oi! Twerp! Get away from them!” Ayame was leaning over the counter, placing two bowls of ramen at the bar. At the promise of food, Naruto left as quickly as he came, mumbling a “bye” over his shoulder. 

Sakura turned her attention back to her food, shoveling noodles into her mouth before slurping down the rest of her broth. She found Kakashi watching her cautiously from behind her bowl as she set it back down on the table. He popped the last bite of his saury into his mouth, studying her as he chewed. 

“What?” She asked.

He swallowed. “Do you want to go get a drink?”

Sakura sighed in relief. “Gods, yes.”

He nodded his head towards the door as they slid out of the booth. “I’ll just be outside while you pay.” Sakura’s jaw dropped to the floor. He grinned before reaching into his pocket. “I’m kidding!” He dropped enough for the bill and tip on the table, then moved forward, wrapping an arm around Sakura’s shoulders. “You can treat me next time.”

They waved at Ayame as they walked out the door, and Sakura let Kakashi steer her down the street. “Well, taking you there was probably one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had.”

She laughed, lifting her hand to interlock fingers with Kakashi’s hand on her shoulder. “It wasn’t so bad. Besides, I was starting to believe you weren’t human. It’s nice to see that you can get embarrassed.” She stuck her tongue out at his scandalized expression, to which he responded leaning forward and pressing his forehead to hers. 

“Now now, Sakura. I can think of much better things to do with that tongue if you don’t want to put it back in your mouth.”

And almost instantly, the heat was back. Her breath hitched as she retracted her tongue, staring wide-eyed back at Kakashi. He pulled away, giving her a warning smirk. 

Sakura looked away into the shop windows as she attempted to get her breathing back under control. It was insane how, in a single sentence, he had flipped the tables right back where he wanted them. She was  _ sure _ this was how he wanted them. He got off on pushing her buttons, breaking her cool exterior and turning her to mush.

( _ Well, if that’s how it’s going to be… Two can play at that game _ .)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for putting up with my super slow updates. It means a lot that you would stick with me. We're definitely hitting the finale next chapter though, so stay tuned!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


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